Marketing help wanted

[Chella]

We're a start up company with a rather small budget looking for someone to help us with marketing. We know the basics ourselves from internet research, but we're really looking for someone to give us a few ideas, based on research, about the best places to market our product for maximum effect. We did try some marketing companies but the prices they wanted were rather too much for us, and we're only looking for some one to spend a few hours on this for us, for which we are willing to pay. If you know anyone who might be interested, do email me or message for more details.

 

[telemax]

What do you do?

 

[ethical PR]

If you have done your market research and understand your marketing proposition, target audience, and how you differeniate your product/service from your competition, you could invite a marketing consultant to come in for a few hours to provide some initial ideas.

However you need to be realistic about how you will be able to achieve within this time.

A freelance consultant is likely to be cheaper than an agency - go for one that understands your sector and is local if you want a face to face meeting.

 

[Chella]

That's helpful advice ethical PR, though I'm not sure how to find a local freelance marketing advisor, especially given as we live in the country in the south west of england. We have between 100 and 200 pounds to spend. I know it's not alot, but we really don't need a huge amount doing.
We're planning to run a tropical weightloss/detox holiday in Goa, and we know what out USP is, we just want some help knowing where to pitch ourselves.

 

[maxine]

Well why not ask on here as this is what UKBF is for

You won't get the same input as a 121 basis but there will be people who are happy to demonstrate a bit of their expertise openly

This might help to stretch your budget a bit further on activity rather than just advice

What's the product?
Who is it aimed at?
Why is it special or different?
What benefits does that speciality or difference bring?
Where does your audience hang out?

Good luck

 

[businessfunding]

You will get lots of advice on here; the more you focus your questions the more specific th answers will be.

To add to maxine's comments i would say:

- who is your customer - as precisely as possible?
- What are they buying - in most cases this is not the same as what you are selling.
- Always remember that mareting i8s a process, not just a series of random events

 

[RussellW]

We have between 100 and 200 pounds to spend. I know it's not alot, but we really don't need a huge amount doing.

You probably need a lot more doing than you at first think. Producing collateral, research and a pitch is one thing.

But Marketing is 'Everything You Do To Get and Keep A Customer'...So the ball of string can be endless.

We're planning to run a tropical weightloss/detox holiday in Goa, and we know what out USP is, we just want some help knowing where to pitch ourselves.

I'll give you a hand for the what you can pay AND a trip to Goa for a holiday (when you're established).

Do you own the premises you'll be using for the business?

P.S What's your USP - and is it really a USP or a Point Of Difference/ Competitive Market Advantage

 

[Elliottc26]

Once you know who your target customers are, you can find them and create some profitable relationships, which is what marketing is all about.

Write down your ideal customer.

For example,

Couples, 50 - 65, Middle Class, Income £50,000 per annum, own house, own car, Middle Management. Likely to live in Harbours, New Build estates, etc.,.

Now, where could you place a message that talks to them and that they will see? Local paper, a flyer to their house, clubs, local magazine, etc.,.

Do they go to a Website? Phone for a brochure? What steps you provide will determine your sales success or failure.

It all evolves around your target customers.

 

[ukbf0001]

Rather than waiting for customers to come to you maybe you need to find out where your customers 'hang out' and then engage them there. So health holidays in Goa - you need to be looking at healthy diet websites, holidays with a difference type websites / forums etc.

If you say you know the demographic of your target audience - then Facebook advertising - you can drill down to gender / age / location etc (whether FB advertising works is a different discussion though)

You could also try doing it yourself with something like BuzzBundle that does social media monitoring of all the various social sites - FB, Twitter, Google+ etcetc - and tells you when people are talking about your subject / topic of interest etc.

 

[AMS11]

Hi - I don't really know very much about very much - just happen to know a bit about Goa! Yes, and I do know some websites where you could 'talk about your stuff' for free. PM me if you think I could be of some help to you.

 

[Lukasz Jaskolski]

If you do not have a lot of money for the campaign, I recommend you try it yourself, read a little - the way you learn a little about marketing. Remember, most people spend money on advertising because they think it will help. I always say do what you can as best you can and customers will appreciate it in the end. Specify the target group of your customers, try to understand the needs of your customers - the real ones.

 

[Marketester]

If you have done your market research and understand your marketing proposition, target audience, and how you differeniate your product/service from your competition, you could invite a marketing consultant to come in for a few hours to provide some initial ideas.

However you need to be realistic about how you will be able to achieve within this time.

A freelance consultant is likely to be cheaper than an agency - go for one that understands your sector and is local if you want a face to face meeting.

Great advice.

Firstly you need to understand your target market. There is no point bringing in an external marketer to help you when you do not understand your customer. After all, they need to know who they are marketing to in order to help you.

I definitely agree; if you are looking for a consultant then shop around; call as many marketing agencies and freelance marketing experts as possible to find the best price. Further to this, take the time to understand what each one is offering; do they fit into your business, do they understand your goals, and do they really want to help you.

 

[tom_doggett]

That's helpful advice ethical PR, though I'm not sure how to find a local freelance marketing advisor, especially given as we live in the country in the south west of england. We have between 100 and 200 pounds to spend. I know it's not alot, but we really don't need a huge amount doing.
We're planning to run a tropical weightloss/detox holiday in Goa, and we know what out USP is, we just want some help knowing where to pitch ourselves.

Hi Chella.

This is obviously not an everyday weightloss program, like Weightwatchers - you're selling something that people need to make a decision about, rather than a "no-brainer".

Think about what people want: it's more than just losing weight or detoxing. It's the journey, it's the experience. You need to make them picture themselves in Goa. The beach, the sea, the mountains, the forest, the waterfalls. The calm, the control, the change of scenery. That they can leave their troubles at the airport and use the special time you are providing them to change the habits that have plagued them for a lifetime.

Ask them to picture themselves when they return home: fresh, energtic, enthusastic. More confident, happier and healthier than they've been for years.

I don't know how many places you need to fill to get started, but I wouldn't be focusing my efforts on Facebook or Twitter to start with. Make sure your luxury product is backed up with a luxury brand. Use something like Wordpress and its templates to build a low-cost, high quality website. You can always get a bespoke rebuild later.

Target lifestyle magazines with details of your holidays. Pitch it as a new, wonderful, luxurious way to achieve the healthy lifestyle the readers crave. I'd maybe consider a direct mail campaign if you have the budget. Find highly, highly suitable contacts - even if you have to do it manually to start with, although you can buy small amounts of highly specific data from companies like MarketingFile.

Write to these people, tell them A LOT about what you are offering. Make them picture where they will be as I said above, tell them in detail what happens - split it down by day or even hour. Don't worry about writing too much.

Speak to travel agents and others in the industry. Tell them what you have to offer. Once you've got your message right and have a few enquiries and hopefully sales then you can start to expand your marketing: perhaps Twitter or Facebook (but keep it "classy" and don't trawl for bargain hunters). Advertising on Google or Facebook might work (search Google for "google adwords keyword tool uk" to do some basic keyword research - sorry, I can't link yet). Advertising in the right magazines might work, but make it look like editorial and ask for editorial back-up if you can.

As others have said, work out what the people who will book with you are like. What do they do, where do they live, what do they read? What excites them? Is it the holiday, the detox, the dieting? Is it the sense of satisfaction, the idea of changing their lives or a desire to boast to their friends? What makes them happy?

How can you prove to them you can make them happy?

How can you solve their problems and change their world?